The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-20
A Pretty Spanish American Custom
From The Chicago Herald.


Many interesting stories could be told of the
cascarone balls of the past, but only one will be
mentioned as an instance of the popularity of
this peculiar feature of the balls On one occa-
sion at ball given at the residence of Don Jose
Abrego, in Monterey, Cal, Pete Serrano, then a
muchacho, was on hand selling cascarones. A
gentleman approached and asked what he would
take for his cascaroneS
"One dollar dozen, was the answer.
How many have your" was the next inquiry.
Forty dozen"
AN right, III take them"
Taking the basket he started down the hall
but had not taken a dozen steps when he was
surrounded by number of young ladies, and in
a moment all hands were diving into the basket,
coming out with double handfuls and crashing
them on his head while he manfully strove to
return a few of the compliments he received.
In five minutes not one of the forty dozen casca-
rones remained whole
The moduS Operandi of cascarone making is
very simple, and about as follows: Into an
empty eggshell-whole, except for an opening
in one end just large enough to remove the
| original contents-is placed about teaspoonful
of finely chopped paper of various bright
colors and gold tnsel; then the opening is
neatly closed by pasting a piece of colored
paper over it, and then the cascarone is all
ready for use. In Mexico in the good old times
| gold dust mixed with diamond dust was often
used to fill the eggshels at the swell fandangoes
| given by the old grandees. And it is done coca
sionally nowadays by some of the wealthy old
| dons who wish to do the thing up in style.
Another way of filling the shells was to use
| finely perfumed powder, and sometimes rare
and costly perfumes were used. Very often
the shells were beautifully decorated, and some
times handpanted. In Monterey, before the
| decline of the custom, the shells were often
colored in fancful designs, like Easter eggs, and
at other times tastefully decorated with differ
| ent colors of paper Chopped paper and tinsel
were usually put in the Shells but on more than
| one occasion gold dollar pieces were used-one
| in each shell. Spiced candy was often used,
and somstimes powder and perfumery. House
wives religiousy save the shells of all the eggs
| they use and put them away until cascarone
| season comes around.
In cascarone breaking it is not necessary that
one should be acquainted; in fact, it is a sort of
| MASKING" proceeding all through. The act of
breaking caScarone on another's head is to be
| considered a, compliment by the recipient, who
is in honor bound to return it at the first oppor-
| tunity. The proper way to break them is to
| crush the shell in the hand over the person S
head, allowing its contents TO fall ON the head.
| In the excitement, however, the shell is more
| frequently broken on the head, regardless of
| locality or force used, and is oftentimes sugges-
| tive of anything but amiable feeling on the part
| of the bestowers When the ice is broken by
some adventurous maiden or plucky man the
| contagion soon spreads, and in a very short
| time everybody is chasing around the room,
breaking cascarones Unfortunately and
| receiving them from all sides. These mock
| battles usually occur between dances.